The Rise of a Scourgelord
Story Compilation and Expansion In-Progress... Righteous Paladin of the Light Born in Stormwind City, Carlutio was a paladin like any other. Starting his training at a young age, he grew in both power and notoriety among his peers. Carlutio had a profound connection with the Light at the time, and was quite dedicated to both its and his homeland's protection. He fought alongside Thassarian during the defense of Lordaeron from the Scourge, and narrowly escaped with some survivors to Gilneas. Gilneas Upon arrival in Gilneas, Carlutio assisted with the healings of the refugees - invaluable to the Gilneans at the time. Time after time, he fought alongside brave people in opposition to the advancing Scourge, determined to halt the advancing forces before they reached Gilneas. Soon, the plague came very close to Gilneas' gate, and the city decided to lock itself away from the rest of the world until the plague and remaining Scourge forces could be dealt with. The city's walls were indeed enough to repel a strong attack by the Scourge, however, the refugees still camped outside the gate were still in danger. Gilneas did care for these people, although its primary concern was keeping the uninfected people already within the walls safe. Carlutio was assigned a patrol route in the forest close to the Greymane Wall to ease the pressure on those people unfortunate enough to be locked out of the city. Absorption Into the Scourge One night, during a venture into the far Northern reaches of Silverpine, he was confronted by powerful Scourge lieutenants serving a newly-arrived Scourge army to finally cement Scourge victory in Lordaeron. The figures were clad in dark armor, bearing a dazzling blue gaze. These reinforcements were deployed from the dread citadel known as Acherus: The Ebon Hold, which had just arrived in the stead of Naxxramas, and were currently wreaking havoc on the towns of the Scarlet Crusade below. The black figures surrounded Carlutio and overwhelmed him with little effort. Carlutio was dead. The figures then ordered some strange minions to take his body into the citadel to be judged. Revived inside of the dread citadel, Acherus, Carlutio began his unlife as a death knight of the Lich King, particularly chosen by Instructor Raszuvious for the events to follow. Highlord Darion Mograine began working with Carlutio to attempt to restore his mental state (damaged during the time he was dead) to better fulfill his purpose as a minion if the Scourge. Through this, a strong sense of brotherhood was formed between the two. Darion began teaching Carlutio techniques well ahead of his peers, which required trememdous concentration on Carlutio's part. This concentration is what ultimately led him to surpass his previous mental stability as a paladin all those years ago, and become the sharp, calculating mind he's had since. He assisted in the Scourge attack on the surrounding Scarlet Crusade territory, and worked with many Scourge higher-ups to do what was asked of him. Under Scourge control, he was a tool of unrelenting destruction, one seemingly favored by the crew of the Acherus and even Arthas himself. His glory, however, was short-lived. At the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, he was confronted by the spirits of his fallen friends and family with the rest of the knights that had been sent there unknowingly on a suicide mission. The Reawakening Following the Lich King's injury at the battle, he and the other newly turned knights fought and extinguished the remaining Scourge in and around the Ebon Hold, retaking it in the name of a new order called the Knights of the Ebon Blade. As one of Highlord Mograine's most trustworthy and powerful lessers, he obtained a signet ring from the smiths in the Ashen Verdict, and was granted the title "Scourgelord," in order to gather more converted death knights for their cause. His specific group of converted knights was dubbed the Death Knights of Acherus, to keep in memory the dark past they'd all served under the ruthless control of the Scourge. Though his hate still runs deep, he manages to keep a calm mind that is both decisive, and deadly. He now stands as a figure of darkness, a role-model, and a brother to all of his knights, commanding the former forces of the darkness against anything that threatens the well-being of all...